Mohammed Choudhury

Director of Transformation and Innovation

School Diversity and Integration Resources

Note: This handout is not a formal presentation. The following slides were compiled for discussion purposes only. The slides are pulled from various presentations and publications by Dallas ISD’s Office of Transformation and Innovation.

Dallas ISD Today

808 Census Blocks

Equal number of students in each Block

Blocks based on:• Median

Income• Single-Parent• Home

Ownership• Adult

Education

SES Block

Median Household

Income

Block 1 $70,493

Block 2 $39,111

Block 3 $29,322

Block 4 $23,087

Family of Four:

• Fed poverty line: ~ $24,000

• Reduced lunch: ~ $44,000

• Free lunch: ~ $31,000

Dallas ISD Socioeconomic Blocks

Our Belief• School districts can’t wait for neighborhood integration. Creative enrollment policies are needed.• Dallas ISD Transformation Schools

1) Attractive instructional model2) Boundless open enrollment3) No entry requirements4) Income‐based admissions5) Provided transportation

• Fix high‐poverty schools AND promote integration where possible

• The movement is gaining steam.

Case Study: Solar Prep

• Serious attempt at socioeconomic (SES) integration

• K-8 STEAM school launched in August 2016 Schoolwide model

• Application Process (which we weren’t shy about): 50/50 based on FRL

Equity Audit based on Census Blocks

No admissions requirements

Boundless open enrollment

Transportation provided

Total

Applications

12

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4

34% 25% 22% 17%

Equity Audit

After acceptances

received, “equity audit”

conducted

Ensures at least one

quarter of students

reside in most

disadvantaged Census

Blocks

13

Solar Prep Enrollment Results (SY 2016-17)

• 346 applications by deadline for 198 seats

• Waitlists on both sides of the 50/50

• Racial diversity (~45% Hispanic, 25% Black, 25% White, 5% Asian/Other)

• Not panacea, but powerful proof point

• What happens after the bell rings?

• How can we scale?